The Kruddfuhrer is dead. UPATED.

Okay, okay – I’m exaggerating. Rudd has only announced his decision to quit Parliament. That’s close enough to satisfy me.

I do come all over skeptical though at his owe-it-to-my-family routine…

UPDATE Nov 14 – His departure isn’t wholly unexpected but the manner of Rudd’s leaving reduces it to something just above cheap soap opera histrionics. Unscheduled speech on the first sitting day of the new parliament, taking even his own party by surprise – calculated for emotional impact, but in execution false and hollow. Two words which encapsulate so much of the Ruddlard era.

Drama queen to the end, Rudd let the tears flow in Parliament as he reflected on the wonderful things he’d done as both MP and PM. And then later announced that he’d be moving to London to work with Chatham House. If there’s one piece of Australian history most foreigners know, it’s that the original white population were mostly convicts. England transported a lot of their criminals here during the 1800s; we’ve now given them Germaine Greer and Kevin Rudd. Australia’s well ahead on that deal.

Rudd has good reason to get out of the country. The new government wants an inquiry into the Pink Batts debacle which cost billions and took the lives of four men. Chatham House might be for Kevin Rudd what the Ecuadorian Embassy has been for Julian Assange. On the other hand, a few months in the company of the soon to be former member for Griffith might have the Chathamites shoving him on to a plane. Kevin’s just that kind of a guy.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott was very kind in his response, but surprised many when he praised Rudd for his apology speech to the ‘stolen generations’ – an apology which has done nothing to improve the lot of Aboriginal children. It was leftist political theatre at the highest level. There are now moves to amend the constitution to incorporate recognition of the indigenous peoples. Mr Abbott supports such an amendment. If the proposal goes to the voters at a referendum, it would be unlikely to succeed.

It’s one point upon which I cannot support PM Abbott. I admire him for the work he has done in the remote aboriginal communities, year after year, but the apology and the amendment are only gesture politics. They create a feelgood moment for some; when the high wears off the status quo is unchanged. The apology itself was meant to be the healing moment. It has failed, the glow has faded, and the amendment will only be more of the same.

But that’s for the future. Today, the male half of the Disastrous Duo

has joined the female half in exiting politics. Rudd leaves behind a fine collection of political scalps – all from his own side of the fence. As Tim Blair notes, ‘Rudd took down more senior Labor figures than most conservative politicians are able to defeat in a lifetime’.

Begone, Kruddfuhrer. Your work here is done.

Thanks for all you did, putting Labor on the nose for a generation. The adults are back in charge for the foreseeable future.